The epitome of a cult classic. It completely bombed (Sex Bo-bombed) at the movies in 2010, only for us to realize how utterly awesome it was years later. Only after every single actor in it has had multiple leading roles, and Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver) continues his under-the-radar dominance have we come to realize that the over-the-top spectacle in Scott Pilgrim is as welcome as it is cringy.
Story is simple: boy likes girl. Girl has history of obstacles. Boy must get past history of obstacles. Adapted from a comic, and then made into a Netflix animation, the movie works like a combination comic, arcade game, and rom-com. In live action. Think Speed Racer (2008), but not nearly as aggravating.
The performances are hyperbolic because the whole affair is hyperbolic. People jump 20 feet in the air and deliver punches akin to Adam West's Batman. Shouting and hysteria are common, nothing is nuanced. (When you're a Level 5 Vegan, you've ascended past mere mortal acting.)
Splashed throughout is pop-culture references like Smashing Pumpkins, Ameoba Music, Sonic, Mortal Kombat, things Gen X and Millennials grew up with or know about. This is less for advertising and more for just kindred nostalgia. It's nice seeing things you can relate to, and I'll admit I'm biased. Also, this is one of those movies that's big on LGBTQ+ awareness. Scott's roommate is gay and they sleep in the same bed despite not being intimate at all. Scott's pursuing an openly bisexual girl with a history of serial intimacy, and polyamory. One of our many movies from the 2000s-2010s that openly include gender fluidity and were stepping stones to today's social paradigm. It also pokes fun at it the same way it pokes fun at veganism and other subcultures ("I'm in lesbians with you.")
Give it a try. It's not for everyone, but given the sheer talent, the zaniness, and the social awareness mixed with satire, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is one of those movies you don't forget.
Story is simple: boy likes girl. Girl has history of obstacles. Boy must get past history of obstacles. Adapted from a comic, and then made into a Netflix animation, the movie works like a combination comic, arcade game, and rom-com. In live action. Think Speed Racer (2008), but not nearly as aggravating.
The performances are hyperbolic because the whole affair is hyperbolic. People jump 20 feet in the air and deliver punches akin to Adam West's Batman. Shouting and hysteria are common, nothing is nuanced. (When you're a Level 5 Vegan, you've ascended past mere mortal acting.)
Splashed throughout is pop-culture references like Smashing Pumpkins, Ameoba Music, Sonic, Mortal Kombat, things Gen X and Millennials grew up with or know about. This is less for advertising and more for just kindred nostalgia. It's nice seeing things you can relate to, and I'll admit I'm biased. Also, this is one of those movies that's big on LGBTQ+ awareness. Scott's roommate is gay and they sleep in the same bed despite not being intimate at all. Scott's pursuing an openly bisexual girl with a history of serial intimacy, and polyamory. One of our many movies from the 2000s-2010s that openly include gender fluidity and were stepping stones to today's social paradigm. It also pokes fun at it the same way it pokes fun at veganism and other subcultures ("I'm in lesbians with you.")
Give it a try. It's not for everyone, but given the sheer talent, the zaniness, and the social awareness mixed with satire, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is one of those movies you don't forget.
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